Rolling door



June 17, 1958 J. ANDERSON ROLLING DOOR 3 Sheets-Shee'l*I 1 Filed Feb.16, 1956 ATTORNEYS June 17, 1958 Filed Feb. 16, 1956 J. ANDERSON ROLLINGDOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lsA FIGA

l l `II e@ I l g l ((ml i l i gg I l i I L JNVENTOR. JAMES ANDERSONATTORNEYS June 17, 14958 J. ANDERSON ROLLING DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledFeb. 16, 1956 ANDERSON INVENTOR.

AMES BY g m mlw ATTORNEYS United States ROLLING DOOR ApplicationFebruary 16, 1956, Serial No. 565,883

10 Claims. (Cl. 160 133) This invention relates to rolling doors and inparticulai to an improved arrangement for rolling doors made up of aplurality of interconnected relatively thin slats.

ln a rolling door of the nature referred to above the relatively thin atslats which make up the door bend fairly readily when subjected to windpressure, and this tends to cause the ends of the slats to pull out ofthe guides at the ends thereof. When these doors reach a substantialsize, as they often do, it will be apparent that tremendous thrusts canbe developed thereon by the wind :and this causes great forces to bepresent, tending to pull A.the ends of the slats out of the guides.

Heretofore it has been customary to arrange clips n the ends of thesiats inside the guides which engage locking bars or other projectionsarranged along the guides whereby, when the slats bend under windpressure, they are prevented from pulling out of the guides.

This arrangement for preventing the slats from pulling out of the guidesis satisfactory to the extent that the slats are retained in position,but this makes the door very difficult to move and causes extremelyrapid wear of the wind lock elements during opening and closing of thedoors, as well as bringing about direct engagement between the slats andthe guide itself under certain cases of deection of the slats, wherebythe very life of the door is jeopardized.

Having the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of the presentinvention to provide an improved arrangement in connection with aSlat-type rolling door or rolling curtain for limiting the deflection ofthe slats when they are subjected to wind pressure.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of anarrangement for resisting the deflection of the slats of a rolling dooror curtain when subjected to wind pressure which will not interfere withthe movement of the door or curtain as it is opened or closed.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide in combinationa device for attaching to the slats of a rolling door or curtain whichwill guide the door in the edge guides therefor, while at the same timeresisting deflection of the door under Wind pressure.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will becomemore apparent upon reference to the following specification taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a View of a rolling door according to the present inventionlooking at the door from inside a buildma;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View indicated by line 2 2 on Figure 1showing the general arrangement of a door or curtain and the guidestherefor relative to the opening for which the door or curtain isadapted for closing;

Figure 3 is a sectional view indicated by line 3 3 on Figure l showingthe door in a condition where it is ydelected by wind pressure;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional viewshowing the atent VC) PatentedJune 17, i958 edge guide at one end of the door and the device accordingto this invention which attaches to the end of a slat of the door andrides within the guide;

Figure 5 is a sectional view indicated by line 5 5 on Figure 4 showingmore in detail the device and its attachment to the end of the slat; and

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view indicated by line 6 6 on Figure 5showing the relationship of adjacent slats of the door or curtain andthe ,connection thereof with the device according to the presentinvention.

Referring to the drawings somewhat more in detail, there is illustratedin Figure l a building wall 10 having an opening generally designated at12 adapted for being closed by a rolling door or curtain 14. The door orcurtain 14 is composed of a plurality of individual slats 16 which havetheir mating edges formed to substantially cylindrical configurations soas to interengage swivelly, whereby the door or curtain is adapted towrap about a barrel 18 which may be rotated by a motor mechanism orchain device to move the door in its opening or closing directions.Barrel 18 is preferably contained within a hood 20 of a size such thatthe entire door or curtaoin can be wrapped about barrel 18 to completelyuncover opening 12,

In order to guide the door or curtain in its opening and closingmovements, and for preventing the door or curtain from swinging, thereis provided at each edge thereof means 22 forming guide channels intowhich the ends of the individual slats 16 extend.

The nature of these guide means is best illustrated in Figures 3, 4 and5, wherein it will be seen that the vertically extending parallel plates24 and 26 are interconnected rigidly by the frame part 28 to form avertically extending channel receiving the ends of the slats.

According to the present invention the outer portion of the channel thusformed is provided with the bars 30 and 32 fixed to members 24 and 26 asby the welding 34 and which provide the vertically extending abutmentsurfaces 36 and the outwardly tapering surfaces 38.

According to the present invention the described guide arrangement isavailed of for guiding the slats of the door or curtain vertically,while at the same time resisting or limiting deection thereof due towind pressure by providing the opposite ends of certain ones, or all, ofthe slats making up the door or curtain with a special end casting 40attached to each slat by rivet means 42 so as to be rigid therewith, andbeing provided with means for receiving a shaft 44 on which is mountedroller 46 which is located between the previously mentioned outwardlyflaring surfaces 38. The end of shaft 44 at the outer end of casting 40terminates in swivel portion 48 which is adapted for being receivedbetween the two arms 50 of a roller support casting 52 that carries thetransverse shaft means 54 that support rollers 56 at the opposite sidesof roller support casting 52. Vertically extending pin 58 pivotallyinterconnects roller support casting 52 with swivel portion 48 on theend of shaft 44 so that the said roller support 52 can ex in ahorizontal plane relative to the casting 40 and, therefore, relative tothe slat to which the casting is attached. y

With reference now to Figure 3, there is revealed the manner in whichthe guide arrangement according to this invention operates to resist orlimit deection of the door or curtain under wind pressure, while at thesame time permitting ready vertical movement thereof even while the dooris subjected to pressure.

ln Figure 3 wind pressure is represented by the arrows 60, and it willbe apparent that the door or curtain is deected as indicated by thedimension X in the center thereof. This deection is, of course,illustrated to an asesinas exaggerated degree in order to clarify the'action of the device.

With the slats bent or detiected, as illustrated in Figure 3, therollers 46 at the opposite ends of the slat bear against one of thesurfaces 38, while the rollers 56 engage the inner end surfaces 35 ofthebars 3l) and 3.2. It will be apparent that the arrangementis that theslats having the guide devices ofthe presentinvention on the endsthereof act as cables and are thrown into a condition of tension; inwhich condition, of course, they are extremely strong and able to resistextreme windV pressures. This prevents .deflection of theV door beyondthe predetermined amount which is determined at the time of erecting thedoor while at the same time, due to the factk that all bearing is by wayof rollers, the door is readily moved either upwardly or downwardly, andthus the wind pressure acting on the door and the deection thereof doesnot in any way operate to interfere with movement thereof.

It will be apparent from Figures 3 and 4 that the door is capable ofwithstanding wind pressure exerted thereon from either side and that theaction of the device will be` exactly the same.

It will also be apparent that in instances whereupressures to beencountered are fairly small,.or the door itself is of generally smalldimensions, the castings as illustrated might be attached to the slatsonly at spaced intervals therealong; whereas, for doors where the windpressure might be quite high or Where the dimensions of the door arequite large,l particularly the Width thereof,

` it would be preferable to place the castings more closely togetheralong the door, even to the extent of placing them on every slat.

It will be noted in Figure 6 that the end portions ofthe castings are soarranged that the castings could be arranged on every slat and thecastings would not interfere with the swivel joints interconnecting theslats at their edges in'any way whatsoever.

Itwill be understood that this invention is susceptible to modificationin order to adapt it to different usages and conditions, and accordinglyit is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention asmay fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: l

1. In a rolling door or curtain; a transversely extending relativelynarrow elongated flexible slat, a vertically extending guide receivingeach end yof said slat, a roller on each end of said slat adapted forengaging the guide upon lateral deection of the slat, a bracketpivotally connected at each end-of the slat within the adjacent guide, apair of rollers on each said bracket on opposite sides of the axis ofthe slat, and abutment members carried by each guideadapted forengagement by said rollers upon deliection of said slat thereby to limitthe deflection of the slat under wind pressure or they like withoutsubstantially increasing the frictional engagement of the slat with theguides. n *l 2. In combination with a rolling door or curtain made up oflaterally extending relatively flexible slatsV swivelly interconnectedalong their edges and guide channels receiving the ends of said slats,bracket means attached to the opposite ends of at least'some of saidslats, each bracket means comprising rst roller means 4adapted forengaging said guide means upon'lat'eral; deflection and channels at thesides of the door receiving the ends f the slats; an abutment memberlfixed in each side of the channel, bracket means on the opposite endsof at least some of said slats and rollers carried thereby between saidabutment members which project beyond the front and back limits of theslat whereby deection of the door from its normal plane will engage therollers with the abutment members on one side of the door, each pair ofsaid abutment members being tapered to forni a ythroat divergent towardthe center .of the door whereby as ythe slats flex under wind pressurethe rollers remain in engagement with the members while the slats clearthe members.

4.*111 a rolling door having elongated transverse slats and channels atthe sides of the door receiving the ends of the slats; an abutmentmember fixed in each side of the channel, bracket means on the oppositeends of at least some of said slats and rollers carried thereby betweensaid abutment membe'rs'which project beyond Vthe front andback limitsVof the slat whereby deiection Vof the door from its normal plane willengage the'rolle'rs.

With'the abutment members on one side of the door, a carrierl pivoted tothe outer end of each bracket means, a roller on each side of thecarrier behind each abutment member and spaced laterally therefrom, andeach abutment member having a surface positioned for engagementby therollers therebehind uponV flexing of the door.

5. In awind lock for a door of the nature described to prevent thenormally straight slats of the door from exing more than a predeterminedamountunder Wind pressure, said door having its side edges locatedinvertical channels; surfaces in said channels `substantially normal tothefpla'ne of the door facing outwardly from the center of the door,rollers in the channels Vnormally spaced outwardly A'from said surfaces,and brackets supporting the rollers and ilexibly connected with Vtheside edges of the doorat spacedpoints therealong,'the spacing betweensaid'rollers and said surfaces being no greater Ythan what will Vpermit.an allowably small tlexure of a slat having wind locks on its oppositeends.

6. A device for mounting on the end of a slat for a rolling door or thelike comprising; a bracket shaped -to iit against the slat and adaptedVto be rigidly fixed thereto,

an aperture in the portionof said bracket inthe region of' the end 'ofthe lslat adapted for receiving a roller having its axis of rotationextending in the direction of the length of said slat, a pivotpinextending into the yend of said bracket supporting said roller, acarrier. pivotally connected to said pin beyond the end of said bracket,said cartier. forming a transverse pivot axis, and -rollers mounted onthe opposite ends of said transverse pivot axis, the aforementionedrollers providing means for rollingly resisting movement of lsaidbracket in any lateral direction.

.7. A rolling door comprising; a liexible curtain of slats, channel-likeguideway means withinwhich the edges of said curtain -is movable, anVantifriction lelement on the edge of the curtain in said .guiding meansand an abutment in the guideway means between said element and the mouthof said guideway means forlimiting the end wise movement of the slats ofsaid curtain when bent due to Ywind pressures or the like `by engagementoffthe ,abutment by said element.

8. A rolling door comprising;l a flexible curtain of Vswivellyinterconnected slats, spaced vertically disposed channel-like tracksinto which the ends of said 'slats-ex tend, antifn'ction means attachedto the side edges of said curtain located within said tracks for-vertical move? Y- ment therein, and abutment means in the tracksinwardly of the curtain from said antifriction means, whereby saidantifriction means is adapted vfor limiting the inward Y movement of theVends of said curtain. when the curtain bends under the ien'ce of Windpressures by engage.- ment with said abutment means.v y

` 9, :In a"rolling'dooriorcurtain; a'pluralit'y of elongated relativelynarrow transversely extending articulated slats, vertically extendingguide channels receiving the ends of said slats, said channelscomprising vertically extending abutment surfaces facing outwardly awayfrom the vertical center line of the door or curtain, and at least someof said slats having bracket means mounted on the ends thereof Withinsaid channels outwardly of said abutment surfaces, and rollers on saidbracket means spaced from said abutment surfaces adapted for engagingthe surfaces when the slats deiiect due to Wind pressure or the like andthe ends thereof move toward the center of the curtain.

10. In combination with a roller door or curtain made up of laterallyextending relatively exible slats swivelly interconnected along theiredges and guide channels receiving the ends of said slats, bracket meansattached to the opposite ends of at least some of said slats, said guidechannels comprising guide surfaces at right angles to the curtain andfacing outwardly from the center of the curtain, each bracket meanscomprising rst roller means adapted for engaging said guide channelsupon lateral deection of the pertaining slat in either direction fromits normal plane, and other roller means positioned outwardly beyondsaid guide surfaces adapted for engaging said guide surfaces upon apredetermined endwise movement at the end of the slat toward the centerof the door opening whereby the curtain is prevented from frictionalengagement with said guide means under all conditions of deliection andyielding of the curtain due to wind pressure and the like.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS2,183,495 Laufersweiler Dec. l2, 1939 FOREIGN TATENTS 472,456 Italy July26, 1952

